Tips on choosing a subject combination
Some students do subject combinations that they cannot manage or that will not help them achieve much in the future. This comes as a result of lack of guidance and not knowing what career path they want to take. Joyce Nyakato and Stella Naigino asked three experts in the education sector for advice.
Some students do subject combinations that they cannot manage or that will not help them achieve much in the future. This comes as a result of lack of guidance and not knowing what career path they want to take. Joyce Nyakato and Stella Naigino asked three experts in the education sector for advice. Below is what they said:...
Jane Nantale was very excited when she excelled in her Senior Four examinations. Nantale did equally well in both science and arts subjects.
However, when the time came for choosing a subject combination for A’level, she went through hell.
Nantale first enrolled for a science combination —physics, chemistry and biology — mainly due to parental and peer pressure.
But the combination was not as interesting as she had anticipated. She abandoned it after two weeks and opted for history, economics and geography.
After Nantale had done the new combination for a week, she realised she could not handle geography and dropped it in favour of divinity.
Like Nantale, many students face a dilemma when choosing a subject combination for A’ level. Only a few students can make informed decisions on which subjects to take.
Dr. John Chrisostom Muyingo, the head teacher Uganda Martyrs’ SS, Namugongo, says failure of students to choose the right subject combinations at A’level is mainly a result of parental influence.
“Most students are influenced by their parents to choose certain subjects, even against their will,†says Muyingo.
“Some parents have already mapped out a future for their children and want to assume control of what the children will do to achieve the anticipated future. Another issue is when students choose subjects they are not necessarily good at, wanting to observe the academic legacies that have been laid down by their forebears.’’
Students should resist the temptation of doing subjects because of peer or parental influence, he advises
Muyingo adds that some students choose subject combinations because they sound nice and think they may earn more respect from their peers.
He also notes that some students go through good schools where they are helped to work hard and end up passing subjects they are not really good at. Muyingo adds that on joining A’level, such students think they can do those subjects well.
According to him, one should evaluate their general performance in a subject since Senior Two, because that will tell a lot about ability to take on a subject at an advanced level.
John Agaba, the assistant commissioner for secondary education, also affirms that good performance in certain subjects is sometimes achieved from reading hard as children succumb to examination pressure, though they might not necessarily be good at the subjects.
“Sometimes good performance in a subject at O’level does not determine how well you will do the subject at A’level. One should look at ability and interest while choosing a subject combination,†Agaba says.
Students also need an education that will equip them for their life’s work. If a student wanted to be a lawyer after school, they would need to do a degree in law and, therefore, they would need to choose a subject combination to meet the requirements for a law degree.
Agaba says if a student knows what they want to do in future, then they are likely to choose subjects tailored to helping them achieve their dream.
He also advises students to choose a subject combination that they can do best and one that will enable them to enroll for their desired course at university level.
“When a subject you have chosen because you love it gets tougher, you are motivated to work harder because you want to achieve your dreams, which leads to good performance in the end, †asserts Muyingo.
For one to be offered certain courses at the university, he/she needs to have done a specific subject combination at A’level. For example, for a course like medicine, one needs to do a combination with biology and chemistry. If one wanted to be a writer, they would need to do a combination which includes literature. Other courses that need a student to do a particular subject combination include technology and engineering.
However, other courses are open in that one can get them with any subject combination.
“Although some students perform well in all the subjects, they usually have an inclination towards particular ones,†notes Rosemary Bwire, a teacher and counsellor at Katikamu SDA School.
“Many students are forced to take science combinations because of the government sponsorship opportunities that go to students who do sciences,†she says.
However, Bwire explains that it does not help for students to do subjects they cannot manage.
She advises that students choose subject combinations which can land them into courses that their parents can afford at the university.
Bwire also concurs with Agaba that the nature of job and career one wants to pursue should be considered in choosing a subject combination at A’level.
She explains that availability of resources sometimes dictates the choice of subject combination a student makes.
Bwire elaborates that some subjects, such as technical drawing, may be more expensive and require more time and resources compared to other subjects, adding that such a situation may force a student not to do the subject, even when they are good at it and can pass it well.
Bwire notes that it is important to consider the school one plans to attend. She explains that some schools do not offer certain subject combinations because of lack of facilities, so the students end up settling for what the school offers even when it is not what they wanted.
Muyingo advises students to choose the subjects that the school they are joining can help them pass.
“In my school, we are good at chemistry, biology and mathematics, so a student taking these subjects has greater chances of getting an ‘A’ in the final exams compared to other science subjects,†he adds.
Bwire also affirms that “schools are better at some subjects than others. As you chose a combination, consider how students who have done that particular subject combination at the school have fared over the yearsâ€.
However, she agrees that it is not always automatic that a student will pass a subject combination because others in the school have passed it.
At the end of the day, there is no single course that suits everyone, so it is important to find the right one. The best way to decide what you would like to study is to ask yourself: “What are my interests, talents and career aspirations?
Jane Nantale was very excited when she excelled in her Senior Four examinations. Nantale did equally well in both science and arts subjects.
However, when the time came for choosing a subject combination for A’level, she went through hell.
Nantale first enrolled for a science combination —physics, chemistry and biology — mainly due to parental and peer pressure.
But the combination was not as interesting as she had anticipated. She abandoned it after two weeks and opted for history, economics and geography.
After Nantale had done the new combination for a week, she realised she could not handle geography and dropped it in favour of divinity.
Like Nantale, many students face a dilemma when choosing a subject combination for A’ level. Only a few students can make informed decisions on which subjects to take.
Dr. John Chrisostom Muyingo, the head teacher Uganda Martyrs’ SS, Namugongo, says failure of students to choose the right subject combinations at A’level is mainly a result of parental influence.
“Most students are influenced by their parents to choose certain subjects, even against their will,†says Muyingo.
“Some parents have already mapped out a future for their children and want to assume control of what the children will do to achieve the anticipated future. Another issue is when students choose subjects they are not necessarily good at, wanting to observe the academic legacies that have been laid down by their forebears.’’
Students should resist the temptation of doing subjects because of peer or parental influence, he advises
Muyingo adds that some students choose subject combinations because they sound nice and think they may earn more respect from their peers.
He also notes that some students go through good schools where they are helped to work hard and end up passing subjects they are not really good at. Muyingo adds that on joining A’level, such students think they can do those subjects well.
According to him, one should evaluate their general performance in a subject since Senior Two, because that will tell a lot about ability to take on a subject at an advanced level.
John Agaba, the assistant commissioner for secondary education, also affirms that good performance in certain subjects is sometimes achieved from reading hard as children succumb to examination pressure, though they might not necessarily be good at the subjects.
“Sometimes good performance in a subject at O’level does not determine how well you will do the subject at A’level. One should look at ability and interest while choosing a subject combination,†Agaba says.
Students also need an education that will equip them for their life’s work. If a student wanted to be a lawyer after school, they would need to do a degree in law and, therefore, they would need to choose a subject combination to meet the requirements for a law degree.
Agaba says if a student knows what they want to do in future, then they are likely to choose subjects tailored to helping them achieve their dream.
He also advises students to choose a subject combination that they can do best and one that will enable them to enroll for their desired course at university level.
“When a subject you have chosen because you love it gets tougher, you are motivated to work harder because you want to achieve your dreams, which leads to good performance in the end, †asserts Muyingo.
For one to be offered certain courses at the university, he/she needs to have done a specific subject combination at A’level. For example, for a course like medicine, one needs to do a combination with biology and chemistry. If one wanted to be a writer, they would need to do a combination which includes literature. Other courses that need a student to do a particular subject combination include technology and engineering.
However, other courses are open in that one can get them with any subject combination.
“Although some students perform well in all the subjects, they usually have an inclination towards particular ones,†notes Rosemary Bwire, a teacher and counsellor at Katikamu SDA School.
“Many students are forced to take science combinations because of the government sponsorship opportunities that go to students who do sciences,†she says.
However, Bwire explains that it does not help for students to do subjects they cannot manage.
She advises that students choose subject combinations which can land them into courses that their parents can afford at the university.
Bwire also concurs with Agaba that the nature of job and career one wants to pursue should be considered in choosing a subject combination at A’level.
She explains that availability of resources sometimes dictates the choice of subject combination a student makes.
Bwire elaborates that some subjects, such as technical drawing, may be more expensive and require more time and resources compared to other subjects, adding that such a situation may force a student not to do the subject, even when they are good at it and can pass it well.
Bwire notes that it is important to consider the school one plans to attend. She explains that some schools do not offer certain subject combinations because of lack of facilities, so the students end up settling for what the school offers even when it is not what they wanted.
Muyingo advises students to choose the subjects that the school they are joining can help them pass.
“In my school, we are good at chemistry, biology and mathematics, so a student taking these subjects has greater chances of getting an ‘A’ in the final exams compared to other science subjects,†he adds.
Bwire also affirms that “schools are better at some subjects than others. As you chose a combination, consider how students who have done that particular subject combination at the school have fared over the yearsâ€.
However, she agrees that it is not always automatic that a student will pass a subject combination because others in the school have passed it.
At the end of the day, there is no single course that suits everyone, so it is important to find the right one. The best way to decide what you would like to study is to ask yourself: “What are my interests, talents and career aspirations?